Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
An illegal alien from Mexico and a Fort Worth man were indicted for falsely acquiring two firearms from licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Illegal alien Oscar Guadalupe Cruz Gonzalez, 28, and U.S. citizen Jose Juan Flores, 45, of Fort Worth, were charged by indictment on March 18, 2025, with Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Licensed Firearms Dealer, and two counts of Acquiring a Firearm from Licensed Firearms Dealers by False or Fictitious Statement. Cruz Gonzalez was also charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. The defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judges on July 3 and July 7, respectively.
According to the indictment, in January 2023 and March 2023, Cruz Gonzalez paid Flores a combined total of approximately $2,500 to acquire two semi-automatic gas-operated rifles from two separate licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each rifle had the ability to be belt-fed ammunition. Cruz Gonzalez supplied Flores with the funds to purchase both guns, more than $10,000 for the first rifle and over $15,000 for the second. Flores allegedly purchased the two firearms knowing he was going to transfer them to Cruz Gonzalez. To conceal this intended transfer when purchasing each rifle, Flores made false statements on the required ATF Form, stating that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. After purchasing the first rifle, Flores gave the rifle to Cruz Gonzalez, who was an illegal alien. In the United States, it is a federal offense for an illegal alien to knowingly possess a firearm.
“A straw purchase means that someone bought a firearm for a person who they knew could not legally purchase one,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Here, as we allege in the indictment, Flores used a significant amount of money to purchase two firearms for an illegal alien from Mexico. This type of crime flouts our gun laws, which are designed to ensure safe, lawful purchases of firearms by U.S. citizens. This will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas.”
“Straw purchasing is a federal crime that undermines the integrity of our nation’s firearm laws and enables dangerous individuals to obtain weapons they are prohibited from possessing,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “This case highlights the importance of our partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to identify and stop illegal firearm trafficking before it results in violence.”
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Cruz Gonzalez and Flores are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers is prosecuting the case.